Hamam reaches out to Kumbh pilgrims with waterproof sarees

Brand Hamam has ushered in ‘Basant Panchami’ by providing waterproof sarees to women pilgrims bathing at the ghats as part of the Kumbh celebrations. This is part of the brand’s message of #GoSafeOutside addressing women. The brand extends this philosophy not only through its communication, but by also engaging through direct initiatives such as putting up ‘CCTV hoardings in Chennai’ and conducting school contact programs that train young girls in self-defense.

Extending these initiatives to Kumbh 2019, the brand began sponsoring ‘women only’ changing rooms at the ghats. But realizing that there was need for additional safety measures for women, particularly during the walk to the changing room after the dip in the river, when the women were in danger of attracting unsolicited attention due to the wet clinging sarees, the brand partnered with Ogilvy India to come up with this simple yet effective solution – waterproof sarees for women at the Kumbh. It is the same kind of sari that the women are used to, but with a simple layer of waterproofing treatment that makes the fabric aqua phobic. This makes it an ideal clothing option for women devotees taking a holy dip at the holy Sangam.

The Hamam waterproof yellow coloured sarees were available to devotees on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, when devotees gather in large numbers for the holy dip.

Sharing insights into Hamam’s objective behind the waterproof sarees initiative, Harman Dhillon, General Manager, Skin Cleansing India at Unilever said, “Hamam feels a sense of responsibility towards making a positive difference, not just to people’s skin, but also to their daily lives. Through our #GoSafeOutside positioning, we want to help improve the sense of safety people feel when they are outside: by raising awareness, kick starting conversations and facilitating solutions. The waterproof sarees at Kumbh are not just a solution to help preserve the modesty of female pilgrims, but they are also a shout out to society to be more respectful towards women. If men have the right to take the holy dip without the worry of unsolicited attention, then society needs to adjust its mindset to allow women to do the same without being self-conscious.”

Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer and the man behind the waterproof sarees shares how he came up with this idea: “Under our #GoSafeOutside platform, we initiated ‘The Waterproof Sarees’ at Kumbh -- an innovative way of helping women preserve their modesty while taking the holy dip. Helping them take a bath in the river in the open without worrying about preying eyes.”